


Unraveled

by EmeraldWaves



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Dragon AU, Dragons, Established Relationship, Knight iwa, Lots of Angst, M/M, Magic, Shapeshifters - Freeform, king oiks, other characters and pairs will be tagged and added as they show up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-04-17 01:29:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14177628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/pseuds/EmeraldWaves
Summary: "The morning sky was bright white, the palest of blues, but Hajime knew it wouldn't stay that way for very long. The sun's golden rays kissed the horizon, curling over the edge of the lake. The day was breaking; a day he'd hoped would never come."When Oikawa Tooru ascends to the throne as the next Dragon King, everything changes.





	1. Chapter 1

The morning sky was bright white, the palest of blues, but Hajime knew it wouldn't stay that way for very long. The sun's golden rays kissed the horizon, curling over the edge of the lake. The day was breaking; a day he'd hoped would never come.

In front of him stood, Oikawa Tooru; his Prince, and very soon to be his King. The silver crown, which hooked over his slightly pointed ears, glittered against the gentle twinkle of the morning sun. His brown locks tickled the back of his neck, sweeping against his pale skin in the light breeze.

He looked uncharacteristically melancholy, his half-lidded eyes staring at the pale stone floating between his fingers. The tiny pebble hovered above his hand, the light reflecting off the shimmering surface. It highlighted Tooru's face, as if giving him a halo of light. He was stupidly beautiful; it was unfair.

The breeze picked up, creating ripples on the lake, Tooru's white and turquoise robe flapping against his lithe body. Hajime shivered, his sleeveless shirt not suited to the current weather. He pulled a long breath of fresh air into his nose. Clean. The lake smelled of pure water, like a fresh rainfall. The city air was dirtier, weighed down by magic and industry.

He pulled his leg up, his boot scratching against the ground, creating a long line in the dirt.

"Are you going to say anything," Tooru's voice was soft, but Hajime could hear the way the words slipped from his mouth and tumbled to the ground, weighted and heavy. "Hajime?" he asked, turning to face him.

Hajime closed his eyes, frog croaks, bird chirps and wind floated around him, drowning out the sound of his own breathing. What was there to say?

He opened his eyes, staring directly at Tooru's brown hues. His lips curled up into his signature smirk. Ah, much better. A face Hajime could deal with.

Tooru sighed, and stretched his hand out. He waggled his fingers, watching the pebble float over his fingers, following the direction of his hand. "I guess you _wouldn't_ have anything to say," he teased. "How disappointing~" he hummed dramatically as he turned back to the lake.

He let the pebble fall to the earth, landing with the softest splash, before getting lost in the tiny waves lapping at the rock.

Hajime sighed, pressing his hands against the dirt as he stood up next to him. "What do you want me to say?" he chuckled.

"Iwaaaaaa~" he groaned, rolling his head back. "You're supposed to ask me to run away with you!"

Hajime chuckled and gently brought his hand down on Tooru's head. "Aren't we a little old for that?"

Wincing, Tooru stuck out his tongue. "It was worth a shot!" They both laughed, the sound reverberating through the air, floating around them before it dissipated into the sky. Gone.

It was a joke, but Tooru wasn't kidding. Hajime could see it in his eyes. If he had told Tooru he wanted to run, they would've run. Tooru would've shifted, and they would've flown away together before the sun fully came up over the horizon.

His eyes were older now, but they were the same brown orbs Hajime had been enthralled by as a child.

_"I'm lost!"_

_"Follow me! I'll help you!"_

He could almost hear the echoes of their childhood in his heart, the sound deafening, breaking his resolve. Oh how he wanted to grab Tooru's hand and run from the castle they could see in the distance.

Tooru closed the space between their hands, wrapping his bare fingers around Hajime's gloved ones. "We could," he whispered.

"No," Hajime shook his head, and raised Tooru's hand to his lips. He felt a small shock, against his lips. Nothing new. The massive amount of magic collected in Tooru's body often reacted with Hajime's very magic-less one. "We can't. You know that, Tooru."

Tooru's lips folded down into a pout, his cheeks puffing out as he yanked his hand away. "You're no fun anymore, Hajime. You're supposed to be my knight," he scoffed, folding his arms.

"Tooru..." Hajime rolled his eyes. "I am your knight. I will _always_ be your knight. After today, it'll be an even more important job..."

"You better protect your King!" Tooru yelled. "There aren't many Dragon Kings left you know," he grinned, looking rather proud of himself.

"Yeah, and there'll be one less if you run away," Hajime scolded.

"Iwaaaaaa," he whined. "I wasn't actually going to run away."

Hajime raised his eyebrow at his Prince. "Don't lie."

"I’m not."

"Are."

"Are _not_."

"I'm gonna throw you in the lake."

"And then rescue me?" Tooru said, leaning closer to him with a dangerous smirk. Hajime pushed his face gently. It was too important of a day to actually give Tooru a fat lip. Not that he would've done that anyway.

"..." he sighed. "I just woke up-"

"'-and you're already making me tired, Tooru,'" Tooru teased, mimicking Hajime's tone. He burst out laughing, his hand clutching his stomach. Hajime kept his face deadpan, shaking his head back and forth, not amused. Still, this was better. This Tooru, Hajime could handle; playful, teasing, laughing Tooru. His favorite. It was so much _easier_ then the sad look his features had held moments prior. "I'm sorry Hajime," he laughed. "It was too easy."

"Yeah, yeah," he groaned, folding his arms as he turned away from him. As the morning fog began to lift, Hajime could see tip of the castle spire on the horizon. The turquoise crystal sparkled in the distance, and Hajime knew it was calling to them. They were out of time.

"We should-" Hajime began to speak, but he stopped when he felt Tooru pressed against his back. His eyes buried against Hajime's shoulder, and he hooked his hands around his waist, clinging to him.

"Don't Hajime."

"Tooru," he whispered, his gloved hands unhooking Tooru's so he could turn around to face him. "We have to go back. This... all this... us. We have to stop."

"But-"

Hajime cupped Tooru's cheeks, gripping his face. "No. This is your _kingdom_ , Tooru, nothing should be worth as much as it." Regardless of what he said, they both knew he didn't believe it.

"Then..." Tooru muttered, wrapping his arms around Hajime's hips. "Just let me have you for one more minute." He pulled their hips together, and Hajime thought Tooru would've yanked all his clothes off right there if he could've.

Instead, he settled for a kiss.

Hajime pulled their lips together, holding Tooru's face in place. He felt the spark again, the hair on his arms standing on end, the breeze tickling his sensitive skin. Kissing Tooru was thrilling, touching was even more so, as if his body was about to explode from the magic pent up inside. Tooru nipped at Hajime's lower lip, not quite ready to let go. "Promise me, Hajime. Even when you can never kiss me again, stay by my side," he whispered against his lips. It was a selfish request, but Tooru was always a little selfish when it came to Hajime.

"Oikawa Tooru," Hajime began, giving him another peck. "I promise I will dedicate my whole being, my whole heart, to you and you alone, for the rest of my life." He kissed him again, loving the small hum which slipped from Tooru's lips.

"I will be your knight for as long as I live."

"-I will be your knight for as long as I live." Tooru spoke the line right along with him. "You added to it," he mumbled against his lips, kissing him one more before reluctantly pulling away.

Hajime blushed. He'd made the same promise to be with and protect Tooru so many times, they could both recite the words by memory. This time however, Hajime had offered up his heart. "I thought... I should say it at least once..."

"Ahhhhh Hajime is so cute!" Tooru laughed, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, nuzzling his cheek.

"T-Tooru! Quit it! We... really have to get going!" he snapped, mostly embarrassed he'd actually said something so lame out loud.

"See," Tooru smirked, the sunrise illuminating the horizon. "You did have something to say."

Hajime froze, staring at the boy, or man now he supposed, he'd come to love so strongly. The wind blew his brown hair across his forehead. Tooru was about to become a king, but to Hajime he was so much more than that; a prince, an idiot, his best friend... the person he would _die_ for.

"Heh," Hajime smiled, glancing to the ground. Tooru's face was blinding, too much for Hajime to look at directly. He was too weak. "Guess I did..."

Tooru brushed past him, stepping through the dirt to get to the small stone path which led back to their horses. "Should we go then?"

Eyes widening, Hajime was surprised Tooru had taken the first step. He had expected to drag him, kicking and screaming, back to the palace.

"We should," Hajime nodded, staring at Tooru’s back. The sad look was back on his face as his gaze fell upon the turquoise spire in the distance.

He supposed it really was time. It was time for Oikawa Tooru to become the new Dragon King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an idea I've probably been sitting on for about a year now... LOL. I saw some beautiful [art](https://mikkapi.tumblr.com/post/155604162609/scenes-and-lighting-studies-from-a-haikyuu-fantasy) and I was so inspired by it and so this fic is FINALLY happening. I'm hoping to make the updates bi-weekly, give or take if my schedule isn't mean to me! (I do have a slight backlog LOL) I'm really looking forward to writing this though so hopefully people enjoy it!
> 
> The main focus is IwaOi but BokuAka, KuroTsuki and AsaNoya will be heavily featured in upcoming chapters so be warned of that! And there will be smut as well which is why it's rated E. And this is a prologue so future chapters will be longer. Thank you to Adriana, Janie and Lizi for reading this over before I posted and for dealing with my utter freak out LOL (I always get nervous writing for a new fandom)
> 
> Anyway thank you so much for reading :) and happy IwaOi day!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime prepares for Tooru's coronation.

They rode back to town in silence, the clip clop of their horses' hooves the only sound echoing between them. The closer the castle drew, the more Hajime felt his chest constrict. Each movement forward was one step closer to Tooru no longer being his.

Who was he kidding? Tooru had never been his.

But he had _always_ been Tooru's, even when he knew he shouldn't be. But Tooru convinced him with his beautiful brown eyes; Hajime was a fool. Eventually he unraveled, unable to deny Tooru anything he wanted. Tooru's fingers would dance across his cheek or his lips would brush against his, electricity shooting through his veins.

_"We can't."_

_"We shouldn't._

_"Please."_

And then, somehow, Tooru would be beneath him, face flushed, smiling, laughing, making ungodly noises that drove Hajime insane.

He watched as Tooru's body swayed up and down with the movement of his horse, the gentle bounce of his body had pushed his hood back ever so slightly. They were nearing the castle village, and Hajime knew the people would jump at the chance for a look at their almost King.

"Oi," Hajime called out, trotting up next to him. "Keep your hood pulled down, idiot." He reached out, tugging it forward over Tooru's hair.

Occasionally when they had left the castle in the past, Tooru would return out in the open to cause quite the ruckus in the middle of town. He _loved_ the attention though, and Hajime would sit on the side watching his smile, waiting until Tooru grew bored of it all.

Today, they didn't have time for that. Tooru's coronation was in a few hours.

"Hajime! You don't want to see my beautiful face?" he gasped, placing his hand on his chest.

With a scoff, Hajime rolled his eyes. "I don't want anyone to see it. We need to get back to the castle."

"When did you get so _possessive_ , Hajime?" Tooru teased, but his words didn't have the bite they normally did.

"I'm your knight, it's my job to protect you," Hajime muttered, keeping his horse's gait with Tooru's. "And right now, you're gonna be late to your own damn coronation if we don't pick up the pace."

Tooru's cheeks puffed, pulling his lips into a pout. "My Iwa is so mean~" he sighed.

Hajime couldn't look at him any longer, and if he could've blocked out his voice he would've. The sounds awoke memories deep in his heart he was trying so desperately to lock away. "Yeah, yeah," he grunted, waving him off. "You'll be thanking me when you have enough time to get ready."

Tooru opened his mouth as if to rebut, but Hajime quickly cut him off. "Don't try and tell me you won't take a long time, both of us know that's a damn lie," he chuckled. It was far easier to attempt to act normal.

Tooru's fists clenched around the reins, and Hajime waited for him to come back with a teasing quip. Instead, he stayed silent, tugging his hood over his eyes as far as he could.

To the outside observer, most would've assumed Hajime was the stronger of the two. He was a knight who, after having been brought to the castle, had spent the majority of his childhood training to do whatever it took to protect Tooru. His physical strength was unrivaled, and most knew him as stoic and a little intimidating. On top of that, everyone knew to leave Hajime alone, unless they wished to incur the wrath of the Dragon Prince.

But all strength aside, Hajime knew Tooru was the one who had to endure the weight of burdens he couldn't even begin to understand. The pressure of being a Dragon King alone was enough to break a person, and yet Tooru still pushed forward, ready to have the silver crown placed atop his head.

When they entered the small castle village, Tooru kept his gaze turned downwards, the hood hiding his features. Hajime was relieved he actually chose to listen, though it unnerved him how quiet he was being.

It was for the best, and yet, Hajime felt his chest constrict even tighter. His gaze stayed on Tooru's back, it was the first time since being a child that he actually felt the distance between them.

He'd never expected to have gotten this far, to be so deeply woven into Tooru's life. Their strings had become intertwined, and though it felt impossible to unravel them at this point, Hajime was clipping himself loose. Though he didn't feel any freer.

"Hajime," Tooru's voice broke him from his thoughts. "We're at the gate."

"Eh?" Hajime blinked, staring at the large iron gate directly in front of him. "Ah..." How had they gotten there so fast? "Right," he said, sliding down off his horse to push the large gates open.

He led their horses back to the stable, keeping both reins gripped tightly in his hands. He knew he was walking slower than normal, he just wasn't ready for this to end. He thought he'd let Tooru go back at the lake, that had been his plan anyway. But he wanted nothing more than to take their horses and run out of the gates far, far away.

_"My knight in shining armor."_

How many times had he heard Tooru say those words? Would it be possible to hear them again? Of course he would still protect him, forever and always... but he knew it would be different from here on out. It _had_ to be.

"Iwaizumi! Your Highness! Welcome back!" the stable master's cheerful voice broke Hajime of his thoughts once again. "Did you spend the morning out?"

"Of course," Tooru smiled, slipping down off of his horse. "One last time," he chuckled, brushing his fingers through the horse's white mane.

"I'm sure Your Highness will have plenty of chances to leave the city every so often," the man said, taking the reins from Hajime.

"Mmm," Tooru hummed. "I don't know if Iwa will let me." He furrowed his brow and cleared his throat. "It's far too dangerous for a Dragon King to leave, especially with the rumors circling about," he snorted, deepening his voice to do his horrible impression of Hajime's voice.

"Well certainly if your knight goes with you, you'd be fine."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "You're about to be a king and you still can't take anything seriously?" Hajime scoffed.

Tooru stuck out his tongue playfully. "Nope! Never!"

Hajime sighed, his body deflating as he walked around his horse, pressing his hands against Tooru's back to move him along. "Alright, we're already later than planned so we're leaving."

"See!" Tooru called back to the man. "Iwa is never any fun!" he waved.

"Tooru..." he mumbled, moving next to him, though he kept one hand on the small of his back, pushing him forward.

"Hajime, you have to stop acting like I'm going to be a different person just because I'm going to be King..." Tooru said, his brown eyes filled with a plethora of emotion. Hajime was certain he could pinpoint each one.

He sighed, folding his arms. "Tooru, it's not about me viewing you differently. You're going to be in the public eye more often, you're going to meet with the other Dragon Kings. You have to take those things seriously."

"You think I don't know these things, Hajime?" Tooru scoffed, walking faster. "The people already love me as I am. Being a King won't be any different than being a Prince."

"Maybe..." Hajime began, and Tooru clicked his tongue.

"You're right, Hajime, I need to start being more serious. So I better go get ready, like you said," he hissed, storming away.

Running his hand through his hair, Hajime let out a long sigh. Would he ever learn? He didn't wish to leave Tooru as a Prince behind in such a poor manner. It left a bad taste in his mouth, though he supposed he had ultimately gotten what he wanted. Tooru would get ready, and Hajime knew he should as well. They could patch things up later; they always did. In fact Tooru would probably be over it the next time he saw Hajime, and he'd be a King, yes, but he'd be pissing him off in some new way.

~~

The mirror directly in front of him was cold. Or maybe it was just his reflection. Tooru stared at his brown eyes, covered now in white powder and makeup used to dress his face for the ceremony. His throat felt tight, the air in the room dry.

Oikawa Tooru wasn't ready to be a Dragon King. He'd never be ready, he didn't want it at all. Why hadn't Hajime agreed when he joked about running away? His duty was to Tooru after all, so if that was what he had wanted, Hajime _should've_ agreed... but no! Of course Hajime had to be so _stubborn_. Just thinking about it made him click his tongue, folding his arms in utter frustration.

"Tooru, stand up straight," his mother scolded, placing her makeup back on the table. He looked paler than normal and it took all of his willpower to not wipe off all the makeup with his sleeve.

"Yes, Mother," he muttered, flicking his gaze away from the mirror. The longer he looked, the more he felt his soul slowly being sucked from his body.

Hajime was meant to have saved him from all this. Hajime had promised.

_"One day, I'll fly us out of this country and it will just be me and you."_

_"I'll protect you! The whole time! That's what I'm training for."_

_"Good! You better work hard, Hajime! I'm counting on you!"_

_"I'll go wherever you want me to."_

If Hajime had said the word, Tooru would've shifted and taken them far away from his kingdom. He'd always been serious.

"Tooru, my sweet boy," his mother cooed, stepping in front of him to adjust the collar of his white and turquoise robes. She brushed her long nails over his cheeks. "You should really let some of your scales show," she whispered. "You're about to be a Dragon King."

Closing his eyes, he sighed, letting the magic around his cheeks fall away as crystal green scales appeared, adorning his eyes along the side of his face. "Better?" he huffed.

"Beautiful," she smiled, gently brushing her fingers through his brown bangs. "I'm so proud." His mother had always been far more lackadaisical about her dragon form; scales constantly littered her face and arms, and her horns always peered out from her long brown locks.

Being a dragon, such a rare being, had always brought his mother such joy, and she took pride in her scales. Tooru felt similar, to a point. He liked being special, he _loved_ the attention he got. And while he was excited to have the entire kingdom's eyes on him during his coronation, there was something else underneath it all that tugged on his heart.

If he was anyone else, a regular _human_ , he could've been with Iwaizumi Hajime, wrapped up in his entire being, surrounded in everything that he was. Closing his eyes, he let out a small sigh, thinking about it; Hajime's lips caressing the smooth skin just beneath his chin, Tooru's magic sparking between them...

His mother's loud huff, broke him from the memory. "Tooru, focus, please. The procession begins soon, and I need to be sure you're ready."

"Of course I'm ready Mother! It's _me_ ," he hummed, flipping his hair slightly. "I've been preparing for this day my whole life," he snorted.

"You say that, but I can tell you're distracted," she said softly, walking slowly back to her night table. She brushed her fingers over the crystal handle of her hairbrush, pursing her lips. "You were with Iwaizumi this morning, weren't you?" she whispered.

Tooru hadn't thought his skin could get any paler and he swallowed. His brown eyes grew wide as he pulled his gaze away from his shocked reflection. "W-What?" he said, finally trying to regain what little composure he had after the question.

"He took you out this morning, yes?" she asked again.

Lying to his mother, especially when she was somehow aware of the time he and Hajime had spent together seemed to be a horrendous idea. "How did you know?" he retorted.

"Please, Tooru," she chuckled softly. "'I've known for _years_."

Tooru felt his heart drop. _How_? They had always been so careful together, always hiding and sneaking around. They did things privately, or early in the morning when it felt as if no one else in the world was awake but them. Okay, yes, admittedly there were a few occasions when Tooru hadn't exactly been _quiet_ , but... it was always at such weird hours he'd assumed no one had heard!

Her deep brown eyes glistened, her scales shimmering against the lighting of her bedroom. "My son, I _know_ you. I see the way you stare at Iwaizumi, and I've seen the way he looks at you. You are his whole world, and not in the way a normal knight may take his job very seriously. It's different," she explained, walking closer to him again. "Subtly has never been your strong suit, my son," she giggled.

Tooru pursed his lips, his cheeks feeling far more flushed than they had before. He wished he had a better poker face, but when it came to Hajime, he was a lost cause. "Alright, so what?" he huffed, not enjoying being called out by his mother.

"This morning, did you two end it?"

Tooru felt every muscle in his body tense. The words echoed around him, making him freeze in place. Technically they had 'ended it', and technically he was frustrated with Hajime for not holding up their promise from when they were children.

He couldn't look at his mother, his brown eyes fixated to the floor. He may have ended things, but in his heart, there was absolutely no one he loved more.

"Oh Tooru," she whispered, cupping his cheeks as she stared up at him. Her thumbs gently stroked over the scales on his cheek. "I know how hard it is to give up someone you are close to, especially when you love that someone," she mumbled.

Yanking his face from her grip, he shook his head. "I don't... you don't understand anything," he hissed.

She sighed, folding her arms together. "Best to tie up all loose ends you may have, my son. You're about to be the Dragon King. It's a big responsibility, and you will find a lovely dragon to be your wife to continue our line-"

"You've told me this since I was a child," Tooru muttered. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"Good," she nodded. "I'm trusting you." She walked by him, heading towards the door. "Or if you're going to do things like that, at least try and be more _careful_ ," she whispered. "Now," she said, smoothing out her dress. "Shall we? We don't want to be late for the procession."

Tooru's brow was furrowed. It wasn't worth it to describe anything in more detail to his mother. None of what he felt were things she would ever understand. "Alright," he sighed. "I'm ready." Though his words were far from the truth.

~~

"Iwaizumi!" Hanamaki waved, standing next to Matsukawa. The two were halfway dressed for the coronation, the silver armor pulled up to their thighs. "You're late," he teased.

"Yeah, well _someone_ wasn't being agreeable," he snorted.

"No surprise there," Matsukawa hummed, looking unamused. "You missed the practice procession this morning."

"I'm sure no one questioned why," Hajime sighed, running his hand through his messy dark locks.

"As always, everyone assumed you were with the Prince, er, King," Hanamaki corrected himself.

"Makki please," Hajime scoffed, "he's not the King yet."

The two boys glanced at each other. "He might as well be. In a few hours, everything will be done," Matsukawa muttered.

Hajime folded his arms, thinking back to the last moment they had shared while Tooru was still a prince. He shouldn't have been so pushy, so they could've left it on a more uplifting note. He could've told him he would be by his side no matter what... No, he frowned, he _should've_ been pushy. Tooru, though a prince, was a walking disaster, and he was going to take years to get ready, and his mother would've murdered Hajime if Tooru hadn't been back in time.

"Yeah I know," Hajime said finally, resignation palpable in his tone.

"Hey," Hanamaki said, placing his hand on Hajime's shoulder. "Nothing is going to change." It was nice to have the other man reassuring him. All of Tooru's knights were well aware who the Prince's favorite knight was, but only a handful of them were aware of just _how_ close Tooru and Hajime were.

"You guys have been this way since you were kids," Matsukawa added.

Well, that wasn't completely accurate, things had certainly _evolved_. But in a way the two were correct. Tooru wouldn't be gone, and Hajime would still be by his side. In many ways, nothing would change.

But...

"You're right," he smiled anyway, not wanting the other two to delve any deeper.

"Plus none of us can deal with him like you can," Hanamaki joked, nudging Hajime's side.

"None of us want to," Matsukawa mumbled. All three of them laughed, their tones echoing off the pillars that lined the long hallway.

"The Prince is a lot to handle," Hajime sighed. "But he's also an idiot. Once you realize that, you can get him to shut up."

"He doesn't listen to anyone else. Pretty sure you're the only one who can get him to do that," Matsukawa said flatly.

Hajime knew _many_ ways to get Tooru to shut up.

He cleared his throat, stopping more impure thoughts from entering his mind. He knew those were going to have to stop. Their duty was to be their main focus from here on out.

Maybe he could find a nice girl in town. He knew the other knights often went for drinks when they were off-duty. There had to be plenty of people who would catch Hajime's eye, a nice brunette with dark brown eyes. Hopefully she'd have a nice laugh, a coy smile...

Internally groaning, he realized he'd practically describe a female Tooru. Was he really so simple-minded?

Plus there were the thoughts of Tooru with a Dragon Princess... a girl he would make his queen... and those made Hajime's blood boil. He could imagine her tiny body pressed against Tooru's, the scales on her cheeks shimmering with her blush as she stared at his stupid, beautiful face. She'd probably laugh at every dumb thing Tooru said (none of it would actually be funny), and she'd run her fingers through his hair or keep her hand around his waist.

And Hajime would be there, watching, guarding, always on the side, withering away in the shadow of Tooru's happiness.

"Iwa-...Iwaizumi!"

"Eh?" he shook his head, glancing at Hanamaki.

"You were really in your head," Hanamaki muttered, folding his arms.

"Sorry," Hajime sighed, rubbing his neck. "I should probably get changed. The procession is soon and we have to walk out first."

"Yeah," Matsukawa said. "We're going to get the rest of our armor now."

"I'll see you down there," Hajime said, nodding to both of them as he walked briskly towards his room. He shouldn't have let the two knights distract him, and really, Tooru had been so slow, it was mostly his fault. He grabbed the silver pieces of armor from his closet, stepping into the leg pieces first as he hooked them through his belts. He pulled the chest plate on, and grabbed the helmet, turning it around in his hands. He could see his reflection, his lips pulled tight and his eyes narrowed. Hajime knew he should be happy, happy that Tooru was finally going to fulfill his destiny today.

He ran his fingers over the pointed edges of the helmet, long spikes shooting out from the sides. They looked like dragon wings, which he supposed made sense for the knights of a Dragon King. He placed the helmet on his head, grabbed his lance, and made his way towards the main hall for the procession.

Tooru was nowhere to be seen, and it was probably for the best, as Hajime couldn't stop to speak to him anyway. 

"We weren't sure if you were going to make it," Matsukawa teased.

"Are you kidding? Like Iwaizumi would miss anything that has to do with the Prince!" Hanamaki snorted.

Hajime couldn't deny Hanamaki was correct. He wouldn't have missed the coronation for the world, even if he had been dreading this day since he was about five years old.

The music began to sound, horns blaring into the main hall of the castle. It echoed through Hajime's helmet, and he clutched the grip on his lance hard. As Tooru's head knight, it was his job to lead the procession, and though he had missed the practice earlier that morning, he'd led the knights many times for various appearances Tooru had in town.

As he glanced around at the various members of the crowd in the hall, his heartbeat began to drown out the sound of the trumpets. It thumped loudly in his ears, swirling around in the helmet. Oh how years had flown by. Before, it always felt like they had years ahead of them to spend together as they pleased.

It still seemed like yesterday Hajime had found Tooru, lost and crying in a crowd of people in the middle of town. Even as a child, Hajime knew who Tooru was. He'd been so distressed, tears streaking his cheeks. He hadn't been able to hold back his magic properly, and scales had glistened on his face, his ears pointed and sharp. Small horns had peaked through his messy mop of brown hair.

Hajime had wondered what the Prince was doing in town, alone. Back then, he'd had no fears as a child, nothing to think or worry about.

"I'm lost!" Tooru had said. "But I don't want them to find me," he had whispered, hiccuping through his tears. It was then Hajime had given Tooru his brown cloak, covering up his horns and pulling it down over his face.

"Follow me! I'll help you!" Hajime had dragged Tooru through the crowd, hoping to help the Prince make his grand escape.

In the end, both of them had been caught, but Tooru had been so grateful for Hajime's help, he'd demanded Hajime be his personal guard.

An orphan at the time, Hajime had been ecstatic to live at the castle, and to this day, as he walked through the hall, the small orphan boy inside of him was still in awe by the ornate decorations, tall windows and delicate chandeliers hanging from the ceilings.

If Hajime really thought about it, he'd probably fallen for Tooru that day, even if he hadn't really understood his feelings. The second he had moved to the palace, he'd never wanted to be by anyone else's side.

The knights were positioned to the left and right of the throne, and Hajime went right, standing as close as he was allowed. There were others, advisors and Tooru's parents, who needed to be closer.

Hajime observed as the procession continued after him. Tooru's mother and father strode confidently down the long aisle. Their ears and horns were out, scales sparkling on their faces. Knowing Tooru's mother, she would've had her wings out too if she could've, but in a town of mostly humans it was better to keep their dragon features low key.

Then the music changed, and Hajime felt his pulse speed up. Tooru would be coming finally, and Hajime wasn't mentally prepared to see him.

Tooru walked slowly, with a princely poise, still his gait was filled with such purpose. His silver half crown was hooked around his long pointed ears, and twinkled against the sunlight pouring in through the windows. His robes were long and white, with accents of turquoise snaking around his arms. The collar of his jacket rose up around his neck, glistening with silver and turquoise pieces of cloth.

He looked stunning, which was really nothing new, but the thing that surprised Hajime the most were the scales dancing across Tooru's cheeks. The last time he'd seen those... well... Hajime's face flushed.

_Tooru, underneath him, his voice so desperate, heavy, breathy, he cried out Hajime's name, the scales appearing on his face. His horns curled up through his brown locks which were drenched in sweat. Hajime couldn't help but laugh._

_"Wow? That good?"_

_"S-Shut up, Hajime!"_

_"You lost a little bit of control of your magic."_

_"I'm never sleeping with you again."_

_"Oh stop, I love them," he'd whispered, leaning down to brush his lips against the turquoise gems. "I love your scales."_

Hajime was thankful the helmet partially blocked his face, since he knew he would be a blushing wreck, seeing Tooru looking so damn beautiful. He pursed his lips, and shifted his weight on his foot as he followed Tooru's gaze. He wasn't supposed to, but he glanced Hajime's way, and gave him a wink.

When he made it to the throne, Tooru slowly lowered himself, his parents standing directly behind him.

"This is a glorious day!" Tooru's father called, stepping in front of the large chair. "Today my son, Oikawa Tooru, will ascend the throne as the next Dragon King of the Aoba Johsai region. Now he is 20 years of age, it is his job to protect this kingdom. He will meet with the other Dragon Kings, as they work to protect the magic of our race, and of all races. Today, we will celebrate his new position by presenting him with the Crystal Crown, and the Sword of the Crystal Dragon!"

"First bring down the crown," his father boomed.

A cloaked man walked down the aisle, holding out the circular crown on a pillow. Tooru's mother stepped forward, her dainty fingers picking up the delicate crown. From the sides dangled long pieces of crystal jewels meant to hook over Tooru's ears.

"With this, we crown our son, the new Dragon King!" his mother called out, slowly lowering it on to Tooru's head, and Hajime's heart skipped a beat. It was done. Oikawa Tooru was now a Dragon King. The love of Hajime's life was now completely out of reach, even as he sat mere feet away from him on his throne.

Cheers were heard, but Hajime was delayed. His mind took a moment to process everything that had happened. All the sounds were muffled, buried under the slow beat of his breaking heart.

"And now, we will present the Sword of the Crystal Dragon!" Tooru's father called out.

Claps rang out as another cloaked man approached with the sword. He moved slower than the other man, perhaps because he was just a bit shorter. As he lumbered forward, carrying what appeared to be a heavy sword, Hajime felt uneasy the closer the man grew. There was something off about the slow way he walked, and when stopped directly in front of Tooru, he was silent. Hajime had half a mind to get closer...

"Dragon King, Oikawa Tooru of the Aoba Johsai region!" The man's voice was loud and booming. Hajime immediately clutched his lance, ready to step forward. "The Dragon Kings must pay for hoarding their magic!" The sword clanged as it hit the ground, the hooded man leaping up as he shot a beam of bright of magic directly at Tooru.

"TOORU!" Hajime shouted, dashing forward, ignoring the cacophony of screams surrounding him. He ran directly towards the light, only to be knocked backwards when he touched it, his helmet flying off as he collapsed to the ground, landing directly on his arm, crushing it beneath all his armor.

He groaned, gripping his arm with his hand as he quickly pushed himself up, just in time to see the hooded figure land back on the ground, dashing away. "STOP HIM!" Hajime yelled to the other knights, but he didn’t stop to check who listened. He could only focus on Tooru, who had slouched out of the throne and fallen directly onto the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I think I might be able to make these updates weekly! That's my goal anyway!! LOL I have so much fun writing this story, putting myself in IwaOi hell! Thank you to everyone who reads this fic ;--; it means a lot to me!! <3 thank you to Adriana for beta-ing as always!!


	3. Chapter 3

Time had stopped moving when Hajime saw Tooru fall to the ground, his body slouched. His feet pushed off the ground and he dashed forward, quicker than he ever had in his life. He'd forgotten about the cloaked man, and Tooru's parents. All he could see was Tooru's fallen body directly in front of him, and _nothing_ was going to stop him from getting directly to his side.

"Tooru! Tooru!" he yelled, kneeling down in front of him. He yanked off his gloves and wrapped his fingers around his shoulders, pulling his limp body up. What had that man done to him? "Tooru..." he whispered, placing his bare hands on his scaled cheeks, brushing his thumbs over the turquoise color. The spark Hajime normally felt when touching Tooru’s skin was seemingly gone. His finger slipped down to Tooru's neck, happy to find a pulse. His eyes were shut, his lips slightly parted, but thankfully, Hajime could see his chest rising and falling fairly steadily.

"Dammit..." he whispered. "It's my job to protect you." He pulled Tooru's head to his shoulder, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry..."

There was a hitch of a breath. "I-Iwa...?" he choked out, and Hajime immediately pulled back, seeing Tooru's eyes flutter open.

"Tooru!" he gasped. "Are you okay?"

Tooru's fingers gripped at Hajime's suit, gripping him hard. "Hajime... I... I can't control it," he hissed, his body trembling, more scales trickling onto his face.

"What?" Hajime said, looking at Tooru with panic in his eyes. "Can't control what?"

"My magic. I-I think he drained me..." he gasped, his ears growing longer, sharper grooves.

"Tooru, what do you mean you can't control it?" Hajime asked. "What does that mean?" His voice was rushed as he cupped at Tooru's cheeks, desperate to do anything to help his King.

"I won't be able to hold my human form! Shit..." he cursed. "You have to get away from me, Hajime," he said, pulling his face from his hold. His turquoise horns pushed out through his brown hair, the pupils in his brown eyes becoming smaller.

"What?" Hajime snapped. "He took your magic? All of it?"

Tooru's chest rose and fell, his eyes darting about as he tried to focus on Hajime's words, his hand gripping at Hajime's, squeezing his fingers hard. "I... don't think so," he panted. "I can still feel some of it." Scales began appearing on his arm, and Hajime could tell from the way his body began to arch he was close to sprouting his wings. Shifting wasn't an easy task for a dragon, especially when they fought against it. It was often painfully drawn-out, a slow change, and Hajime knew he had to at least _try_ and stop it.

"Okay," he said, adjusting how he sat on the floor, bringing his hands back to Tooru's face. "Tooru, I need you to look at me, and I need you to focus. How do you normally keep your human form?" he asked, gripping his cheeks.

"Magical focus," he said. "It's... like second nature at this point," he chuckled, his body heaving forward as he did.

"Idiot," Hajime scoffed. "Stop making jokes! I'm trying to help you!"

"Iwa... always so... serious," he grunted.

Hajime frowned and poked his forehead. "This is a serious situation, your shift won't be pleasant if it happens," he hissed.

Hajime could think of only a handful of times he'd actually seen Tooru in dragon form. He was powerful, elegant, the color of a shimmering turquoise crystal. Usually it only happened during training, and very rarely. Dragons never took on their dragon form unless it was absolutely necessary. Apparently it drained far too much magical energy.

"Fine," he huffed, puffing out his cheeks against Hajime's hands.

Leave it to Tooru to be cute and make light of it all anyway. He turned his brown eyes towards Hajime's, staring at him, as if Hajime had all the answers in the world. "Alright," he said. "Do you normally spread... your magic out somehow?" He had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but perhaps his words would trigger something in Tooru that would remind him of how he could better control his magic.

"Yeah..." he nodded. "It's less concentrated so I can do all my amazing spells that impress you," he smirked, his chest lurching forward.

Rolling his eyes, Hajime slid his hands down to Tooru's shoulders. "Tooru, I need you to focus all your magic on keeping your human form, is that possible?"

Tooru's eyes widened, as if he were in a panic. "Well, yes, but... then I won't have anything left!"

"Who cares!" Hajime yelled. "This is more important! You can get hurt if you keep fighting this!"

Tightening his lips, Tooru finally nodded. "You're right... Okay... " His breathing was sporadic, his chest rising and falling as he took in a few deep breaths, his eyes shutting.

Hajime could feel the magical energy pulsing off of Tooru's body, small sparks hit against his hand, but it was nothing like the energy he had always experienced before. There was far less tension, less weight pressing down on him. But he watched as Tooru's magic glowed around his cheeks, the horns slowly disappearing back into his hair, the scales on his arms and cheeks however remained, as well as the long dragon ears. However, Tooru's breathing was more normal, and he didn't seem to be in pain.

He sighed, his eyes opening as he stared at Hajime. "I stopped it," he admitted softly. "It should be... okay. As long as I don't try and use my magic for anything else."

Frowning, Hajime gripped at his hand. "I won't let you use it for anything else," he said. "Though your ears, cheeks, and arms..." Hajime began, and Tooru looked down, his sleeves slipping to his elbow.

"Huh," he mumbled. "Wonder why..." He brought his hand up slowly, running his fingers over his pointed ears.

"Not enough magic?" Hajime asked.

"Probably," Tooru shrugged. "At least my scales are beautiful," he winked, and Hajime shook his head. The King was devastated. There was no way he wasn't. Tooru _loved_ his magic, loved showing it off for everyone around him. But of course, he smiled, hiding any pain he might be feeling.

"Tooru..." he whispered, and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't... protect you, I tried... but the light..."

"Hajime," he chuckled, nuzzling his cheek again his. "There's no need to beat yourself up. What's... done is done," he said slowly.

"I promise you... we will find whoever did this, and we _won't_ let them get away with it. We'll find a way to get your magic back."

"Ho-ho~ Iwaaaaa~" Tooru purred into his ear, his voice smooth and soft. "I like it when you get so _protective_ ," he teased. Idiot.

Biting down on his lip, Hajime gripped at Tooru's shoulders, his hands trembling as he pushed his body away from him. Tooru's eyes were wide in shock, looking at Hajime with such confusion. "You could've _died_ today, Tooru. _Died_! And there would've been nothing..." He glanced down unable to look at his King's face. His brow trembled, his eyes slammed shut. "There would've been no way for me to get you in time."

"Hajime, you're worrying too much!" Tooru's voice trembled as he spoke. "I'm totally fine. Like some random magic beam could really _kill_ me!" he laughed, feigning confidence. Tooru often was overconfident about many things, making his insecurities all the more transparent to Hajime.

"But..." he whispered. A groan was heard beside them, and both Hajime and Tooru glanced at Tooru's mother. Slowly, she pushed herself off of the ground. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked disoriented, blinking as she looked around the room to take in the scene before her. Her gaze fell upon Hajime and Tooru, sitting by the throne.

"Tooru!" his mother called out, immediately standing when she saw him. "My boy..." she rushed to his side, glancing at Hajime. "What happened?"

"We don't know," Hajime admitted. "I sent a few of the knights after the hooded man, but they haven't come back. The King was of the utmost importance to me."

"Thank you, Iwaizumi," the woman said, gently reaching out her hand. "For protecting our son."

Hajime simply bowed his head. It was his duty yes, but no matter, he would've done anything to protect Tooru.

"Mother," Tooru said, his voice the smallest Hajime had ever heard it. "They took my magic."

"What?!" she gasped, practically shoving Iwaizumi out of the way to kneel directly in front of her son. "All of it!?"

"No... there was enough left for me to keep my focus up to remain mostly human, but even then, it was barely enough," he said.

His mother looked concerned, glancing around. "Where are the knights? They didn't catch this man? Iwaizumi, you need to go check on your guards."

Reluctantly, he glanced at Tooru, not wanting to leave him in such a vulnerable position, but he knew she was right. Plus, if there was any chance that man was still on the premises, Hajime refused to let him go. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Right away." Standing up, he bowed to both of them.

He ran down the long aisle, finding it hard to believe mere minutes ago this had been the scene of a joyous occasion. Tooru was supposed to be at his coronation celebration, drinking and enjoying the festivities, and yet... the scene was something of a disaster after the stampede of people scrambled from the room during the attack.

Seeing the state of the room made Hajime's heart hurt. Why did they not double check everyone who was coming to the ceremony? He supposed that would've been rather excessive, but then maybe Tooru would be safe, and he would hate himself far less. He glanced behind him, noticing Tooru's father walking slowly towards his son, still sitting on the ground.

Hajime curled his gloves in on his palms; he should've been there. He should've stayed right by his side the whole time, jumped in front of Tooru and blocked the blast. He had not idea what a magical drain beam would do to him, someone with no magic whatsoever, but either way Tooru would be safe.

Turning his head, Hajime focused on walking forward. The longer he beat himself up, the more difficult it would be to push forward.

Near the front of the castle, Hanamaki and Matsukawa stood near the gate, arms folded, frustration pulled tight on their features.

"Hey, Iwaizumi," Matsukawa muttered, and it didn't take much for Hajime to realize they'd lost the hooded man.

"Did you see anything?" he asked, trying to sound optimistic.

"No," Hanamaki grunted. "We tried, we really did. We followed them out of the room like you ordered, but with the crowds rushing, he disappeared into the sea of people."

"Figures," Hajime muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"Is... the King alright?" Matsukawa tentatively.

"Can't imagine Iwaizumi would be out here with us if the King wasn't alright," Hanamaki said.

"Mmm..." Hajime grunted; 'alright' was a relative term. "He's alive."

"Hurt?" Matsukawa whispered.

Maybe not physically...

It was so difficult for Hajime to stay put. Oh how he wanted to run back, and check on Tooru. He'd stand by his side and never leave him.

Instead, Hajime sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "I don't know what we're going to be telling people, but his magic was drained," he whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear. He trusted Matsukawa and Hanamaki just fine, but there were plenty others he felt wary about, especially now due to the attack. "It's safe to say we don't know much about this. We don't know who the attacker was, and we don't know why he went after the King. Obviously, we'll be looking into it."

"Makes sense..."

"'Course."

Distress flashed across their eyes, and Hajime completely understood. Their kingdom had been peaceful for so long. While all the Dragon Knights had trained for combat and any conflict that may arise, it had never been something any of them concerned themselves with.

He had no idea what any of this meant for their country, or for Tooru, but Hajime would be damned if he sat around and did nothing.

~~

Tooru felt weak. Everything in his body throbbed with pain, and the scales on his cheeks and arms felt scalding hot. Though when he actually went to brush his fingers over the turquoise scales, they felt completely cool to his touch.

He knew what it was like to be low on magical energy. He'd experienced it before, after shifting into his dragon form; it always took days to recover. But this, this feeling was different. Terrifyingly different.

When he shut his eyes, he could no longer feel his magical current. It normally pulsed inside of him, slowly building itself back up, especially after a great loss of energy. But this time, all his magic was concentrated to the front, working to stop anymore parts of his dragon self from slipping through.

"And you really can't hide them?"

"No, Mother," Tooru sighed. "I already told you I can't. You did always say you wished I would flaunt my scales a bit more," he smirked.

"Tooru," she scolded. "This is no time for jokes. This could be very serious. It's been hours since the ceremony and you still cannot conjure up any extra magical energy?"

Tooru's face fell. There was no way to lie to his mother to convince her otherwise. Tooru usually prided himself on being a fantastic liar (though he really wasn't), and he liked to believe he could sneak almost anything by his mother. But not this. She would know immediately, when in a few days Tooru still would be unable to hide his scales or do any sort of spell.

"No," he spoke finally. "Besides the energy I have locked in place, I can't... feel any magical current."

There was a knock on the door to the throne room, and Hajime entered, his face pale. Tooru didn't need him to speak to know Hajime had no idea where the man had disappeared to.

"Your Highnesses," Hajime said, bowing his head as he entered the room. "My men attempted to follow the strange, cloaked man, but he disappeared in the rampaging crowd. We're not sure... where he went."

"This is a disaster," Tooru's mother whispered. "A new Dragon King, and he has no magic. The last thing we want is to end up like Johzenji. No magic, no King," she hissed. Tooru had never been to the magic-less kingdom, but he did think his mother was being rather melodramatic.

And coming from him, that was saying something.

"Mother. I still have some magic. It'll be fine," he urged.

"Enough to keep your dragon form at bay," she whispered, covering her eyes.

"Then..." he paused, looking down as he tried to think of how to respond to her. "I'll go get my magic back."

"Get your magic back? And just how do you intend to do that?" His mother's face held no amusement.

"I don't know... we could track the cloaked figure and we could hunt him down, right Hajime?"

"There are... other ways we could attempt to find this man."

"And how would you intend to do that, _Iwaizumi_?" she asked, a bite to her tone.

"I'm not completely sure, I would need to speak to the other knights," Hajime replied quietly. His dark eyes turned towards the ground. Tooru gripped his hand against the throne, he hated seeing Hajime looking so helpless. It was unbecoming of his face.

"Right," she sighed. "So as always, the two of you are coming up with childish plans to attempt to fix a large scale problem you both are incapable of mending," she stated bluntly, and Tooru wished his mother would stop being so close minded.

He opened his mouth but quickly shut it, deciding she would never agree with him. If he and Hajime were going to get his magic back, he would have to slip away undetected, something which seemed virtually impossible currently. Even if Hajime was able to get him from the castle, his mother would surely send her own guard after him.

"Anyway," she sighed. "For now, we will have to give a speech to our people, we need to let them know you are alive and well. We will keep them uninformed of your magic loss for now. No need to start any sort of ruckus about the region," she stated. "And secondly, you will have to call a meeting of the Dragon Council."

Tooru's face paled. "The Dragon Council?"

"Yes. You were going to have to go anyway, but it’s best they all know about this immediately," she explained.

"Ushiwaka will be there," he muttered.

"Yes, he has since taken over as the King of the Shiratorizawa region," she nodded. "And they need to be warned. Perhaps they will also have information for you?" she said. "Iwaizumi can escort you there. But for now you'll prepare to give a speech tomorrow morning. Let your public know you are safe. Do not say anything about meeting with the council to anyone but Iwaizumi. If someone is tracking you, we don't want to bring harm to other Dragon Kings."

"Mmm, yes Mother," Tooru said.

"Once you've finished your speech, you can head out to the Council. I will send out the alert this evening. For now, get some rest," she said, walking forward to press a kiss on his forehead. "Perhaps, tomorrow you will feel refreshed and you might have more magic then," she said gently. Her hand squeezed his shoulder, her fingers reluctantly pulling away as she left the room, leaving Hajime and Tooru alone.

Letting out a long huff of air, Tooru slouched down against the tall throne, his eyes fluttering shut. Exhaustion was taking over, and though normally he was quite talented at hiding when he was tired, he didn't have it in him.

"Tooru..." Hajime began, walking slowly up the steps towards the chair. "You should get some rest, like your mother said."

He glanced away from his knight. How could he look him in the eye when he felt as though his insides were starting to decay, far quicker than he ever thought they would.

"Tooru," Hajime repeated, kneeling down in front of him. "I know this is hard-"

"You couldn't possibly know!" he boomed, standing up quickly. He glanced down at Hajime's shocked brown eyes. He hadn't meant to yell, not at him, but in one day he'd lost so much, and Tooru's body trembled from the holes seeping through his soul.

"Tooru, I-"

Slowly, Tooru lowered himself to his knees, letting his forehead press against Hajime's shoulder. "I don't know what to do..." he whispered in a moment of vulnerability. Oikawa Tooru always knew exactly what to do, exactly what to say, and he always did so with a smug smile, but everything escaped him at the moment.

"It's okay..." Hajime whispered, his fingers stroking down the back of his robes.

"My magic isn't going to come back, even after sleeping," Tooru admitted. The words echoed in his throat, as if he still didn't believe them even after speaking out loud.

"Then we'll find it," Hajime said, voice filled with determination as always. "After we meet with the Council we might have more leads. I'm not going to let you live like this." Hajime's fingers stroked through his hair, a soft, gentle touch, so unexpected of the knight, though it was quite familiar to Tooru.

He pulled back, looking at Hajime, his gaze flicking to his lips. It would be so easy, so _simple_ to steal one kiss.

And Tooru couldn't resist.

Leaning forward, he kept his arms wrapped around Hajime's neck, pressing their lips together. Hajime was warm, and a soft hum of happiness erupted from his own lips. He sucked on Hajime's lower, slowly scooting towards his body. They had promised to end it that morning, when things had been different, and now Tooru selfishly needed Hajime more than ever.

"Tooru," Hajime whispered. "We-"

"Don't," Tooru mumbled, pecking at his lips again. "Please, I've lost too much today and I just..."

"Mmm..." Hajime hummed, nodding in understanding. Tooru smirked; Hajime was so weak to him, and he knew it wasn't fair, but Tooru wanted him.

Tooru could've lost himself there too, wrapped up in Hajime in the middle of the throne room.

~~

Tooru was one of the best public speakers Hajime knew. Though the recently crowned Dragon King had been training his entire life for these sorts of things, Hajime was always impressed when he watched Tooru speak to the crowd.

Once again, he'd been adorned with his long turquoise and white robes, so beautiful and ornate. Down trailed the sections of sparkling silver, matching the crown atop his head. His mother had tried desperately to cover up the scales on his arms, leaving the ones on his cheeks, but from the vantage point Hajime stood at, he could see them glisten in the sun. And it was impossible not to notice the way his long ears pointed towards the sky. Hopefully, the people would assume he was showing off his dragon features.

Hajime hadn't been too keen on having Tooru speak in front of the crowd. After the attack yesterday, putting the Dragon King in the eye of the public didn't seem to be a smart idea. Though it would show they were resilient and not scared of any threat, Hajime secretly was terrified. He hadn't been able to protect Tooru yesterday, and if it happened again, Hajime had no idea what he would do. They had no countermeasures... and if Tooru lost all his magic, he would be stuck in dragon form.

Tooru, however, hadn't protested at all that morning about waking up, or preparing his clothing for the speech, and Hajime had been surprised. Instead, Tooru had silently proceeded to go through his morning routine, meeting with his mother after to breakfast to discuss the things he must keep to himself.

Against his better judgement, Hajime _had_ spent the evening in Tooru's bed. And he'd moved with him, rolling their hips together as he kissed at his cheeks, pressing his lips to each scale. Tooru had covered his eyes with his arm at the end, unprepared for the wave of emotions which overcame his body.

He trembled and shook, moans rolling from his lips, and tears slipping down his cheeks. Hajime knew all the reasons the wet droplets fell. And at the end, Hajime had moved Tooru's arms, looked into his glistening eyes, and pressed their foreheads together.

_"No matter what happens, my feelings for you will always be the same."_

Would he ever be able to let Tooru go? Probably not. Hajime had almost lost him yesterday, so he cut himself a little bit of slack.

He glanced up at the balcony Tooru stood on, his words ringing out above the the crowd.

"As you all are aware, there was an attack yesterday during the coronation ceremony. Though we were attacked, no one was harmed, and there is no need for panic," Tooru continued, a bright smile present on his face.

Hajime was quite familiar with the many smiles which often painted Tooru's face. There were the public smiles, ones he used to look impressive to his people. They pulled across his face, making his brow twitch ever so slightly, unnoticeable to the untrained eye. There were the ones for his family, reserved mostly for his mother when she was discussing official Dragon King business. Hajime's personal favorite was Tooru's private smile. The one which graced his beautiful features when Hajime really made him laugh or when they were intimate and close, whispering 'I love yous' back and forth. Hajime always blushed when he saw that one. And as much as his playful smirk made Hajime wish to punch Tooru, he supposed it was one of his favorites as well.

Right now, he was using his public smile, though Hajime had no problem pointing out the cracks. Unfortunately, this time the cracks were shimmering through a bit more than normal.

"I want everyone to feel safe, so I am here to reassure that I will not be in any danger, and I will continue to rule over this region proudly as your new Dragon King!" he called out, raising his arms. The sun caught his scales once again as he lifted his arms high, holding them up to the sky.

Hajime hated lying to the people, Tooru wasn't safe. He wasn't safe at all, and currently it felt as if none of the Dragon Kings were. He hated the idea of calling the Council all to one place where they would be easy targets, and because of that, Hajime had already decided he would not let Tooru out of his sight. Not even for a moment. As long as he could try and help it, he would not allow a repeat of the coronation ceremony.

There were cheers as Tooru bowed, stepping away from the balcony, and Hajime took that as his own cue to step back inside, watching Tooru slowly take a step down the stairs.

"We've begun preparations for his Highness and Sir Iwaizumi to begin their journey to the Karasuno region where the Council will be meeting," the attendant bowed, immediately walking next to Tooru.

"Perfect," he said, "I guess we'll be leaving soon," he nodded, glancing to Hajime.

"Guess so," he muttered, gripping at his lance. No matter where they had to go, Hajime would follow.

"So Iwa~," he purred, leaning towards him as they walked towards the back of the castle. "Were you enthralled by my speech? Did you hear how they cheered?" he smirked proudly.

Ah, there was the old Tooru. Hajime snorted, as if he were annoyed by the questions. "Oh yeah, they _loved_ it," he murmured sarcastically.

"How could they not?" he teased. "They always love me."

A long sigh ran through Hajime's lips. "For now let’s focus on making the Council love you."

"Oh please, Hajime," Tooru scoffed. "Most of the Council will be on my side, and even though Ushiwaka is there now too, everyone likes me more than him," he grinned.

"I'm glad you're so certain," Hajime scoffed. Having the old Tooru back was annoying, but a relief. Hajime could tell he was forcing himself into a sense of normalcy. It was probably easier that way.

"Of _course_ I'm certain," Tooru smiled. Hajime was glad one of them was feeling confident about this trip.

"Well, I guess it's time to find out what the Council knows," Hajime muttered. It might be they knew absolutely nothing, but either way Hajime wasn't going to leave without some information.

He would get Tooru's magic back, even if it was the last thing he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay on this chapter! I had a few things happen and I had to take a slight break from posting stuff, but I am back and I should be on my posting schedule again, only I'm switching to Wednesday now! :D Please enjoy this new chapter! Thank you to Janie and Adriana for reading ahead of time!


	4. Chapter 4

"Iwaaaa~" Tooru whined. "Fix the collar again. It's crooked."

"It's not."

"It is. I can feel it!" Tooru exclaimed, puffing out his cheeks.

Hajime shook his head, curling his fingers around the collar of Tooru's robe. He folded the cloth down and then back up, making sure it was straight around his neck. Hajime pursed his lips, staring for a moment at the glistening scales on Tooru's face.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," he said, his fingers rubbing at the sleeves. If it was better, it certainly didn't look different to Hajime. The robes were absolutely fine, but Tooru was clearly not. He continued to fiddle with his hands, his thumb brushing over his cheek. It was subtle, but Tooru's eye twitched and Hajime knew he wasn't okay. He was stressed about this meeting with the Council for sure, but Tooru was never one to back down from anything. Minus Ushijima, as far as Hajime knew, Tooru got along rather nicely with all the other Dragon Kings.

So maybe it was something else.

"What's wrong?" Hajime said, glancing around to look for anyone else who might be near. When the coast appeared to be clear, Hajime gently covered Tooru's hand with his own. "You're fidgeting."

Tooru sighed. "Nothing is wrong... Unless you think my robe is still crooked!" he exclaimed, a dramatic gasp escaping his lips.

Rolling his eyes, Hajime cupped his cheeks, making Tooru's lips pout. "Enough Tooru. Stop lying and tell me what's actually wrong."

A frown appeared on Tooru's lips, and he pulled back from Hajime. He hated when Tooru did that. It always made him feel helpless, like he couldn't do his job, or fulfill his deepest desire to protect the King he loved so much.

"I don't... like walking into a situation where I know I'm going to be the weakest person there," he snorted. There was a hint of red on his cheeks, and Hajime couldn't help but crack a small smile. Tooru was embarrassed. It was cute; Tooru rarely got embarrassed, and when he did he usually worked a lot harder to cover it up. Being around the other Dragon Kings without his magic was perhaps making him nervous, or more vulnerable.

Of course, Hajime knew he shouldn't be appreciating Tooru's vulnerability as much as he was, since this was a very serious situation. They didn't know who was behind the attacks, and with all the Dragon Kings in one place, they could be targeted again. Suddenly, Hajime felt queasy. He wanted to take back his smile... Why hadn't they brought more guards?!

"It's okay," he whispered, choking out the words. A pathetic excuse for reassurance. "I'm here beside you," Hajime said. "The whole time. I won't leave you."

"I know you won't." Tooru said, ignoring the catch in Hajime's voice. "But still..."

"Most of these Kings are your friends, they will be on your side. And really they should be, any one of them could be next," Hajime scoffed. He'd kick the ass of any Dragon King who opposed his own.

"Emphasis on _most_ ," Tooru scoffed rolling his eyes. "Ushiwaka I'm sure will have plenty to say about my scales showing."

Hajime raised his eyebrow. "Do you really think he'll say something? It's not like you can help it. I'm sure once you explain the situation all of them will understand."

"Yeah, right," he snorted, folding his arms. "Shall we get this over with Hajime?" he sighed, his eyes glancing down to the floor.

Hajime let out a huff of air, a smirk pulling across his lips. "Tooru, we don't have to go in right this second if you need a minute. You look like you're about to cry," he teased.

"Eh?! Hajime! I wasn't going to _cry_!" he retorted, leaning towards him.

"You sure about that?" he smirked, leaning in as well, their noses just inches from touching. But Tooru was more energetic, and the sad look in his eyes had dissipated, if only for a moment.

His cheeks were painted red as he pulled back, letting out an angry huff. "Stupid Hajime. Like I would let someone like Ushiwaka make me cry," she scoffed, offended at the mere idea.

"Right, right. Of course," Hajime chuckled.

"I really should get in there..." Tooru said finally, his gaze turning towards the door.

They were likely to be the last ones there. They had arrived that morning, when the others had probably arrived the evening prior. Not only was Aoba Johsai the farthest away from the Karasuno region, it was one of the larger regions as well, making it difficult to travel across quickly.

And when they had arrived, Tooru scurried to his room, immediately getting ready. He had spent the past hour fretting about his clothes and hair. His ears and the scales on his cheeks and arms still hadn't gone away, and as far as Hajime knew, Tooru's magic had stayed exactly the same.

Hajime wasn't sure why the Dragon Kings chose to hide their scales and dragon forms, but he knew it was deeply rooted in their culture, and had been for a long while. As a human, he knew he could never truly understand the dragon customs, so he didn't question Tooru's nerves. Still, in this case, Hajime could only assume they would be somewhat understanding.

"I will walk with you by your side. You have nothing to fear," Hajime said.

Tooru couldn't help but smile, leaning close to Hajime. "How many times have you said those words to me?" he purred.

Pulse quickening, Hajime sucked in a sharp breath of air. Tooru was so close to him, to his lips. And though they'd spent their last night back in Aoba Johsai together, Hajime had been purposefully struggling to keep his distance. It was difficult though, especially with Tooru being so damn needy lately. Not that Hajime could really blame him.

But he was weak.

"I'll say them to you as many times as you need to hear them," he mumbled.

"You give me courage," Tooru whispered, closing the space between their mouths for a soft kiss. Hajime could feel Tooru's lips tremble against his own, and he pressed harder reassuring his King.

"Always," he whispered, running his fingers over the smooth, turquoise scales as Tooru pulled back, yanking the door open.

~~

With every step Tooru took, he could hear his boots echoing against the stone floor, the long hallway seeming to expand further and further. He knew the other Kings awaited him at the end of the hall and he could only imagine how long and tedious this meeting was going to be.

He could see the light shining at the end of the corridor, a large opening into a circular room where the 6 thrones sat. Of course, only 5 would be occupied; it had been decades since someone had sat on the Johzenji throne.

"Well, well, well, Oikawa Tooru finally decided to show up!" A dark-haired man draped in a long, red cloak leaned forward on his throne. Keeping his leg crossed, he leaned his elbow casually over his knee, his lips curling up into a devilish looking smirk. Kuroo Tetsurou, Dragon King for the Nekoma region, looked regal, the red of his cloak shimmering against his pale skin. Though his black hair was a mess, looking as if he'd rolled out of bed just moments prior.

Next to Kuroo stood his stoic blond knight, Tsukishima Kei. There had been somewhat of a scandal when Kuroo had chosen the blond to be his head knight. It was rare to have a head knight from a different region, and everyone was well aware Tsukishima was from Karasuno. Still, Kuroo had chosen and never seemed bothered by the rumors which had swirled around about him. At least Tsukishima had been from a long line of knights, unlike Hajime.

"Of course I showed up," Tooru scoffed, slowly walking across the room towards his throne, followed closely behind by Hajime. "I'm the one who called this meeting."

"OIKAWA!!" A cheerful voice turned the attention of the room to Bokuto Koutarou, Dragon King for the Fukurodani region. His strange gray and black hair was spiked up as always, and his sharp golden eyes matched the strands of gold which adorned his black and white feathery robes. The people from Fukurodani were known for their wild nature, and many lived in forest clearings, living off the land in the wooded area.

Bokuto's hand shot up into the air, waving about frantically. "So happy you could make it!"

"Bokuto..." His dark-haired knight, Akaashi Keiji looked tired already, before the meeting had even begun.

"What?!" he said, turning up towards the man. "Can't I be excited to see Oikawa!?" he exclaimed, gesturing intensely towards Tooru.

Akaashi's lip tweaked at the corner. "Yes, but maybe not so loud," he said in his hushed tone, though with the echo in the room it was easy to hear him anyway. Bokuto immediately began to pout as he faced forward, watching the others.

"Hello, Oikawa." Asahi Azumane waved to him meekly. The Dragon King for Karasuno never had much of an intimidating presence, especially compared to the other four Kings, but he was a kind and good leader. He was adored in Karasuno and always tried to keep the peace when the other four began to argue, though it rarely worked. His orange and black robe was draped over his shoulder poorly, as if his tiny knight had tried to throw it over his shoulder and missed slightly.

Nishinoya Yuu was short, but always a bundle of energy, ready to jump in and defend Asahi if anyone tried to oppose him. Today though, he stood quietly at Asahi’s side. Strange, considering he normally had mountains of energy.

"Bokuto, Asahi," Tooru smiled to the two of them. "It has been a while, hasn't it..." Tooru paused, turning his head in the direction of the fifth and final Dragon King. "Ushiwaka..." he sneered.

The large, muscular king from Shiratorizawa had his regal purple robes wrapped tightly around his body. The fur around this collar made Tooru hot, just looking at him, but they were known to be a cold people, due to their region being mostly mountainous, covered in snow for the majority of the year.

His knight, Tendou looked practically manic, his strange eyes watching Tooru's every move. Behind him, Tooru could feel Hajime tense.

"Mmm..." Ushijima hummed, crossing his leg. "It has. Especially since we've all been waiting for you for so long."

"Ah, as blunt as ever, Ushi," Tooru purred.

The Shiratorizawa King closed his eyes and folded his arms. "You show up late _and_ come here with your scales showing all on your face. Have you lost all your modesty since ascending to the throne?" he scoffed.

Tooru let out a chuckle as he turned to take a seat on his own throne. Glancing towards Hajime, he narrowed his eyes slightly, smirking, as if to say 'I told you so'.

"Of course not," Tooru hummed, glancing at the four other Kings. "I _did_ call this meeting for a reason after all," he chuckled, crossing his leg as he leaned on the arm of the throne casually. Truly, he only did so to be closer to Hajime, standing directly next to him.

"Yes, please. Now that you're here, enlighten us. Why did you call this meeting?" Ushijima stated.

"We're supposed to meet when a new Dragon King takes the throne anyway!" Bokuto chuckled, leaning back against his throne.

"Fair..." Ushijima said. "Then there should've been no need to call a meeting earlier. If you wanted to discuss keeping your scales out in the open, I think you could've waited for your rejection," Ushijima stated bluntly.

Tooru had expected this from Ushijima. The covering of scales and dragon features had been a hot topic amongst the Kings for many years. Centuries ago there had been a war between the humans and the dragons, which the dragons had mostly lost. When their kind continued to be slaughtered even as the fighting died down, many dragons took on a complete human form to hide. And yet when wars broke out between human clans, the dragons had risen again, offering humans protection, which is how Dragon Kings had come to rule one region of the world each. Or... that was what the legends said. In honor of their ancestors, dragons hid their dragon form (though many believed it was for the sake of keeping humans comfortable).

There had been debates over time; dragons should be allowed to show scales, or wings or something to distinguish them from humans, but the vote had always lost, and so they kept their human forms instead.

It was considered a form of modesty, as Ushijima had pointed out rather obnoxiously.

"C'mon Ushijima, let him speak. I'm sure there's a good explanation for all this," Kuroo chuckled, glancing towards Tooru for some backup.

"I'm sure Oikawa wouldn't call us for no reason..." Asahi said, his voice quiet as usual.

"There is indeed," Tooru mumbled, glancing down to the floor. "The reason my scales are visible on my face, ears... and my arms," he began, holding up hands, allowing his sleeves to cascade down around his elbows. The turquoise scales on his skin glistened in the bright lighting of the round room, and Bokuto gasped, blinking as he leaned forward with intrigued.

"My magic," Tooru continued, "was depleted."

"What!?" Bokuto yelled, slamming his hand on the arm of his throne.

"D-Depleted?" Asahi stammered, sinking slowly down.

Tooru nodded. "During my coronation ceremony, I was attacked by a hooded figure. I don't know if their goal was to drain my magic completely. My knight, Iwaizumi attempted to stop them, and it's possible they didn't finish the job..." Tooru explained. "Either way, what little magic I have left is being used to hold my human form, though as you can see I don't have enough to hide everything," he explained.

"And you have no idea who the hell this cloaked figure was?" Kuroo asked, glancing up towards Tsukishima.

"No," Tooru sighed, shaking his head.

"I sent my knights after the person but we lost them in the crowd. We are also unaware of what spell they used, so we can't even begin to track that either," Hajime explained.

"I called this meeting to warn you. It is possible they are targeting all Dragon Kings, not just me."

"All of us?" Asahi stammered. "What could they want with all of us?"

"Our magic?" Tooru suggested. "We don't know their motive. But with so few dragons left in the world in general, maybe they want to get rid of all of us once and for all. There are still humans out there who hate us."

"Stealing our magic is stupid," Ushijima said. "It would only make us take on our dragon forms."

"Maybe they don't realize that?" Kuroo suggested.

"Or maybe they just have something against Oikawa," Ushijima shrugged. "Your people are known for being very open, your mother for example."

"What the hell did you just say?" Tooru snarled, standing up.

"Tooru..." Hajime warned.

"I've heard most people in Aoba Johsai think you're a show off," Ushijima stated flatly.

"I called this meeting to warn you," Tooru snapped, his eyes glaring in Ushijima's direction. "Yes, maybe they are just targeting me, but if they're not and I hadn't warned you..." he growled, slowly sinking back down in his seat.

"This is the first attack we've heard of on a dragon in a long time..." Asahi stated slowly. "It could be an isolated incident, or it could be something we all really need to watch out for. Either way... it was smart of you to call the meeting, Oikawa," Asahi said, nodding his head.

"So none of you have heard of any other incidents?" Tooru asked, glancing around the room, his eye hesitating on Ushijima.

"No," Kuroo answered, folding his arms. "What do you plan to do exactly? Is your magic not regenerating?" he asked.

Tooru nodded once. "It's not..."

"So it's a permanent drain..." he muttered, tapping at his chin.

"Yeah..." Tooru said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped at the edge of the throne.

"Too-... Oikawa and I plan to search for his magic and the people who did this," Hajime announced, stepping forward. "If any of you hear anything, please let us know."

"There's one place that's obvious to start looking," Ushijima shrugged, keeping his stoic gaze facing forward.

"Oh? Where?" Tooru scoffed, glancing away from him.

"Johzenji," he stated flatly.

"The magic-less region..." Asahi whispered.

"Who else would want to steal magic?" Ushijima said, as if it were the most obvious answer.

"It's not a terrible guess," Kuroo murmured. "They haven't had a Dragon King in so long..."

"Heh, y'think they're finally sick of being left out? They wanna take us all down with them!?" Bokuto snorted. "I'd like to see them try!" Clapping his hands together, he jumped out of his seat. "Alright, that settles it! Akaashi and I will be coming with you!" Bokuto cheered, pointing directly at Hajime and Tooru.

"Eh!?" Hajime said, stepping back a bit. 

"We’re doing what?" Akaashi asked, blinking as he watched his Dragon King bounce up and down happily.

"Hey!" Kuroo called out, standing up too. "Well if Bokuto's going, then Tsukki and I will go too," he smirked, folding his arms. "If you don't have your magic, you're probably going to need protection, and since this could affect us all, better we stick together."

"Tch…" Tsukishima clicked his tongue, giving Kuroo a pointed look that the Dragon King clearly chose to ignore.

"Idiots," Ushijima scoffed. "If we're all in the same place, it makes it easier for them to take us out," he grumbled. "I will not be going with you."

Tooru frowned and stood up, pushing himself off of the throne. "We didn't invite you, Ushiwaka!" he snorted. "Me, Bokuto and Kuroo are plenty!" he said, nodding his head.

"Well, what about Asahi!?" Bokuto said, turning around to the Karasuno king.

"I'd... rather not..." he mumbled.

"Right," Bokuto said, shrugging it off no problem. "Like Oikawa said, the three of us and our knights are plenty! Tomorrow morning we'll make for Johzenji!"

Akaashi sighed, shaking his head while Tsukishima rubbed at the bridge of his nose; obviously the two knights weren’t thrilled with the idea of adventuring.  
"Seems like a sound plan," Tooru nodded, pleased the two Dragon Kings he felt the closest to had chosen to come along with them.

"Meeting dismissed then," Ushijima said.

"We'll call another once we report our findings in Johzenji. If the cloaked culprit isn't there, maybe we'll find a lead of some sort and figure out just what is going on with this situation," Kuroo nodded.

"Okay! Be safe you guys," Asahi said, standing as he bowed.

"Come along, Tendou," Ushijima muttered, standing to make his way back to his quarters for the evening.

The meeting had gone far better than Tooru had originally expected. He was hoping for more information, but at least this time, they had a lead.

~~

Akaashi Keiji was used to Bokuto Koutarou. He was used to all his outbursts and his extreme moods (usually excitement, but there was the occasional periods of depression). But as he walked with Tsukishima behind the excitable Koutarou and Kuroo, Keiji wondered if they were really making the right choice. 

"I know you're thinking the same thing as me, Akaashi," Tsukishima said quietly, following after his own Dragon King. Both Koutarou and Kuroo had a tendency to jump into things, especially things they both deemed _exciting_ , and when the two of them got together… well, disaster often followed. Messes were created that Keiji and Tsukishima often had to clean up.

"Of course," Keiji murmured. "I'm concerned about this trip. Iwaizumi had no way of protecting Oikawa, and if this person finds us and depletes Koutarou and Kuroo's magic too..."

"There are too many unknown variables," Tsukishima said.

"And yet..."

"What are you two mumbling about back there?" Kuroo asked, abruptly stopping to turn around and stare at the two knights.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "Did you even take a moment to think about this stupid plan of yours?"

"Eh!? Keiiii! You think this is a stupid plan?"

"Every plan you have is stupid," Tsukishima said flatly. Koutarou burst out laughing as Kuroo frowned, folding his arms.

"Well, we can't just let Oikawa go alone," Kuroo huffed.

"Of course we can't!" Koutarou said and Keiji let out a long sigh.

"And what happens if we get attacked and your magic gets drained...what then?"

"C'mon Keiji!" Koutarou laughed, stepping forward to sling his arm around Keiji's neck. "With all of us together, there's no way that could happen!"

Keiji raised his eyebrow. "I'm glad you're so confident. I'm just... expressing my concern," he muttered.

"Concern noted," Koutarou nodded. "But we've got this! And hey, we're going to Johzenji, the _magic-less_ region! You don't have to worry so much, Keiji!"

"I wish we had more information about this cloaked figure," Tsukishima added. "I don't hate the idea of going with them, we could surprise the enemy and have the upper hand, _if_ we had more information."

"But we're not going to get more information unless we go with them," Kuroo pointed out.

Tsukishima grunted and Keiji sighed. Unfortunately, Kuroo was right for once.

"I just hope we're not walking directly into a trap," Keiji whispered as Koutarou and Kuroo walked ahead again. The two were far too excited to be talked out of going on this adventure. So like always, Keiji would follow behind his King, happy to do so, and ready to protect him from whatever dangers came their way. Looking over at the way Tsukishima was watching Kuroo, Keiji had a feeling the tall blond was thinking the exact same thing.

Whatever happened from here on out, they certainly were in for an adventure.

~~

Tooru flopped down onto the bed with a long sigh, his body sinking into the plush pillows Asahi had set up for him. "That went shockingly well. Minus Ushiwaka's snide remarks!" he scoffed. "I told you he'd bring up the fact he can see my scales!"

"You certainly did," Hajime chuckled, watching Tooru push himself up on the bed, tucking his legs under him. "At least he didn't offer to come on the trip."

"Oh thank the gods he didn't!" Tooru snorted. "I would've rejected his offer anyway," he huffed out. "Kuroo and Bokuto are fine, but no way would I have let stupid Ushiwaka come! You know he would've bossed us around the whole damn time anyway."

Hajime nodded. "Yeah. You would've been unbearable."

"ME!?" Tooru exclaimed, leaning forward. "What the hell are you saying? It's _him_!"

"Right, right," Hajime rolled his eyes. "Enough about Ushijima, get some sleep, Tooru," he said gently. "We have to leave early in the morning." Pushing himself off of the bed, Hajime stretched up, ready to head to the room Asahi had set aside for him in the Knight's wing.

"Hajime..." Tooru said softly. "Are... you not going to sleep here tonight?" he whispered, and Hajime turned, his heart skipping a beat when his gaze fell upon Tooru's eyes. They were turned down towards the bed, glossy and vulnerable; Hajime could trap himself in their brown hue.

He pursed his lips. _So weak._ "You, uh... you want me to?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" he said, puffing out his cheeks.

"Tooru... you know we... can't..."

"It's _different_ now Hajime," he hissed. "You know it is. Do you really think I can handle this without you?" he said, his hands curling around his ankles, his body trembling.

With a sigh, he collapsed onto the bed. "Tooru..." he mumbled, reaching his hand out to brush his fingers across his scaled cheeks. "I'm right here. I'm always right here."

"You know what I mean." Tooru's voice cracked with desperation, his fingers wrapping around Hajime's, squeezing them close to his face. "This trip... we're away from Aoba Johsai. Surely anything... away from there... it doesn't count."

Unhooking the clips of his armor, he let the metal leg guards fall to the ground with a clang against the carpet. "As you wish," he said, leaning forward to close the gap between their lips.

How could he deny this man? His King. How could Iwaizumi Hajime ever say no to whatever Tooru desired? What a fool he'd been for thinking he could just let him go.

"I love you, Hajime," Tooru whispered against his lips, letting his body fall back against the bed, his head pushing into the pillows.

"I love you, Tooru," he mumbled, settling between his legs, his hand slipping up Tooru's clothed thigh.

"No one loves me like you, Hajime. No ever will," Tooru whispered, his fingers wrapped around Hajime's neck. In the twinkle of the moonlight through the glass window, the scales on Tooru's arms shone bright, and Hajime loved seeing Tooru in such an intimate setting.

"Damn right," he grunted. Reaching his hand down, he slowly flicked at the buttons on Tooru's robes, opening his jacket. His rough fingers trailed up Tooru's bare chest, and Tooru let out a sigh, his head pressing back against the pillow.

Tooru's faces when they were intimate were unfair. If Hajime had any doubts, they were gone now, seeing Tooru's eyes fluttering shut, his mouth slightly open. He trailed his lips down his chest, swirling his tongue around Tooru's sensitive nipples.

"Ah... Hajime..." he whimpered, his knees raising up, trapping Hajime between his legs. His chest heaved against Hajime's mouth. Ah, the most perfect reaction. Hajime was the only one who knew about every nook and cranny on Tooru's body. He'd had plenty of time to explore, years even.

"S-Shirt off!" Tooru demanded, and Hajime chuckled, pulling back to pull the sleeveless black shirt over his head. He knew Tooru preferred to watch Hajime's muscles while he worked on Tooru's body. He loved the way they rippled and moved under Hajime's skin, every strain to give Tooru the utmost pleasure.

Hajime dipped his head lower, kissing around his belly button, hooking his finger into his pants, as he tugged them down. Hajime licked his lips, pleased to see how hard Tooru already was. "Someone's excited," Hajime purred. "Were you thinking about this all day?"

"'Course I was..." Tooru panted. "Seeing you by my side at that meeting, knowing you'd protect me..." he moaned, his cock jumping at just the thought.

Chuckling, Hajime stroked his finger down the length of Tooru's cock.

"D-Dammit Hajime... please don't tease me!" Tooru begged, his hand finding Hajime's hair, his fingers curling into the brown spikes.

"Please Tooru. You love this," he whispered, moving his head lower to circle his lips around his tip. He suckled on his hard length, flicking his tongue over the slit at the top of his cock.

"I do..." he whined. "Shit... Hajime... I do," he panted, his hips rolling up towards his mouth. His cock plunged down Hajime's throat, and the knight had to wrap his hands around Tooru's needy hips to stop him from thrusting fully down into his mouth.

Instead, he pressed his tongue along the underbelly of Tooru's cock, running it down gently. He hallowed out his cheeks, pressing his mouth down his length completely, sucking hard. Moans slipped from Tooru's lips, and Hajime couldn't resist looking up at his King. Seeing Tooru's beautiful face twisted in pleasure was enough to drive Hajime completely wild.

He moved his hand lower, wetting his fingers with his lips. He pressed his finger to Tooru's hole. It was certainly not a new sensation for the Dragon King, and he hissed out when the first finger pressed inside, but Hajime knew it wasn't a noise of displeasure, quite the opposite. Tooru's moans climbed in pitch, higher and higher as Hajime began to thrust his finger inside.

When he added a second finger, Hajime could tell Tooru was growing impatient. His hips moved towards his fingers, rolling his cock towards Hajime's mouth. He was trying to force Hajime's fingers in deeper, faster. A chuckle hummed around Tooru's cock from Hajime's mouth.

"Ha-Hah...hah... Hajime!" he cried out. "Please just... please I want you."

"You're always so impatient, Tooru," Hajime grunted, pulling himself off of Tooru's cock. As much as he wanted to tease him, he wanted it too. He wanted to savor every moment and part of Tooru, Hajime was eager too, and his own cock throbbed in his pants.

Licking his lips when Hajime sat back, Tooru grinned. "I win," he purred.

"This time," Hajime whispered, tossing his belt to the side as he kicked off his long pants. "Next time you won't be so lucky," he hissed, letting his lips glide over Tooru's.

"We'll see about...t-that!" Tooru yelped, stopping mid sentence as Hajime thrust himself inside of Tooru. His hair draped across his forehead, he leaned his head back. "Gods Hajime..." he whimpered. "Yes..."

Hajime couldn't help but groan as he felt Tooru's ass clench around his length. "I love you, Tooru," he whispered, placing his hands on either side of him, rolling his hips into him over and over.

"I-I love you more Hajime," Tooru whimpered, wrapping his legs around Hajime's hips, his own thrusting down to match Hajime's movements. The angle was deep, pressing right against Tooru's most sensitive spot, the King thrashing about against the bed.

Hajime kissed all over Tooru's face, his lips caressing at the shimmering scales. "H-Hajime..." he panted, their skin slapping together, the bed creaking with his movements. "I'm...I'm not going to last..."

"Good," Hajime grunted, slamming his hips against Tooru's harder. He was desperate for release too, his body chasing his orgasm. He wrapped his hand around Tooru's cock, brushing his thumb over the tip, jerking his wrist upwards to match the speed of his thrusts.

"Hajime! Ah-.. ngh... I can't!" Tooru yelped, leaning his forehead forward to press against Hajime's, his breath dancing over his lips. Hajime felt Tooru finish, the way his cock throbbed in his hand and spurted out against both of their chests.

Rolling his hips deep, Hajime pounded in, burying himself in Tooru over and over. He threw his head back, the muscles in his back pulsing as he squeezed into Tooru's ass, his cock pouring it's finish inside of him.

Sighing with a moan, Hajime connected their lips, as he slowly lowered himself close to Tooru, basking in his entire being.

"My perfect Hajime," Tooru whispered, stroking his hands through his hair.

"You know I'd do anything to please my King," he chuckled, brushing his thumb over his cheek.

"Your King is very pleased," he hummed, hooking his legs and arms around him. "You better sleep right here tonight before we leave in the morning," Tooru demanded.

"Of course," Hajime whispered, pecking his lips once more. "Besides we're not doing anything like this while camping with the others."

Tooru's face curled into a giant frown. "Hajimeeee~ You're no fun!" he whined, but chuckled as he nuzzled his nose against his cheek. "Well, I'm glad I got you tonight then."

"Me too," Hajime replied.

In the morning, they'd be off, searching for Tooru's magic, but for now, Hajime was happy to lay close to him in the privacy of the moonlit room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYYY all the other characters are finally here! And ayyy i finally wrote smut LOL Writing this chapter was so much fun and I'm excited to continue the adventure with everyone else! I hope you guys enjoy the new additions and thanks to everyone still reading this fic! And thanks to Adriana and Janie for reading it over ahead of time :)

**Author's Note:**

> [emeraldwaves](http://emeraldwaves.tumblr.com/) is my tumblr  
> [musickazoo](https://twitter.com/musickazoo) is my twitter where i yell about nerdy things XD


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